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Maintaining Fitness with Osteoarthritis of the Knee

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While your
doctor may advise you to steer clear of some of the high-impact sports and
activities that you’ve enjoyed in the past, it’s still possible to maintain an
active lifestyle while managing your osteoarthritis (OA).

Exercise is key to maintaining function in people who have OA of the knee. One
large study showed that older adults who engaged in
moderate physical activity at least three times per week reduced their risk of
arthritis-related disability significantly.

If you’re considering adding exercise to your
treatment, here are some guidelines to keep in mind:

Don’t start out too
fast. Your pain may increase, prompting you to get discouraged and quit.

Expect some increase
in pain for the first four to six weeks after starting an exercise program.
Sticking with it will result in long-term pain relief.

Don’t overdo it. If
pain is sharp or knife-like, or causes you to limp, you have probably overdone
it, so you should back off a little. If pain is achy and does not affect your
daily activities, it’s probably OK to work through it. If your joint is red, hot
to touch, and swollen, see your doctor as soon as possible.

Try to lose weight. A modest
weight loss (e.g., 5 percent of your body weight, or 12
pounds, for a 250-pound person) can help reduce pain and disability.

Jennifer M. Hootman, Ph.D., Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention epidemiologist, recommends a simplified way of approaching exercise
for people with osteoarthritis:

Start low and go slow. Inactive people
should start with a small amount of activity — for example, three to five
minutes two times a day. You should increase the activity level in small
amounts, allowing enough time for your body to adjust.

Modify activity if your arthritis symptoms increase. Arthritis symptoms come and go. Most people completely stop
activity when their symptoms increase. It’s better to first modify your
activity by decreasing the frequency, duration, or intensity, or changing the
type of activity to stay as active as possible without making your symptoms
worse.

Activities should be “joint friendly.” Unsure of what types of activity are best for people with
arthritis? A general rule is to choose activities that are easy on the joints,
such as walking, bicycling, water aerobics, or dancing. These activities have a
low risk of injury and do not twist or pound on the joints too much.

Recognize safe places and ways to be active. For inactive adults with arthritis or those who do not have
confidence in planning their own physical activity, an exercise class designed
just for people with arthritis may be a good option. For those who plan and
direct their own activity, finding safe places to be active is important. For
example, while walking in your neighborhood or at a local park, make sure the
sidewalks or pathways are level and free of obstructions, well lighted, and
separated from heavy traffic.

Talk to a health professional or a certified exercise specialist. Many health professionals and certified exercise professionals
are good sources of information on what types and amounts of activity are
appropriate for people with chronic conditions and disabilities.

Exercises You
Can Do At Home

The most important thing you can do at home after receiving the diagnosis of
osteoarthritis of the knee is to stretch and strengthen. Stretching and
strengthening the musculature surrounding the knee, such as the hamstrings, the
quadriceps, and the calves, is vital. But it’s important to avoid heavy, weight-bearing
activities such as squats, leg presses, and running. Light weight training and
low-impact activities like yoga or Pilates are ideal.

For flexibility:

Combined calf and hamstring stretch. Sit with your foot slightly elevated resting on a small stool.
Bend your ankle up and flex your foot toward your body, keeping the heel in
contact with the stool and the knee straight. Slowly reach with both hands
toward your toes. Hold the gentle stretch for 30 seconds. Repeat two times and
then switch legs.

Straight Leg Raise. Lie on your back,
bend one leg, and keep the other one straight. Slowly lift the straight leg to
45 degrees; hold and then slowly lower it back down to the ground. Make sure
not to use your back to do this. All of the effort should come from the leg
muscles. Repeat five to 10 times, and then switch legs.

Sit to Stand. Practice this move
to make standing easier. Place two pillows on a chair. Sit on top of the
pillows, with your back straight and feet flat on floor. Use your leg muscles
to slowly and smoothly stand up tall. Then, slowly lower yourself back down to
sitting. Be sure your bent knees don’t move in front of your toes. If this is
too hard, add pillows or use a chair with armrests and use your arms to help
push up.

Pillow Squeeze. Place a pillow
between your knees and squeeze. Hold for 15 to 20 seconds and release. Repeat
five to 10 times.

Side Leg Raise. Lie on your side.
Tighten your thigh and slowly raise your leg toward the ceiling, keeping the
leg perfectly straight. Slowly lower your leg to the starting position. Each
repetition should take eight seconds. Repeat the exercise on until you are
fatigued, switch sides. When you are able to do 25 reps, you can try adding a
light weight to your thigh or ankle.

Hamstring Chair Scoots. Sit in a chair with
wheels. Propel yourself forward using your hamstring, by extending your leg
several feet in front, then pulling back with your heel. Repeat until fatigued.

Standing Heel Raises. Stand on one foot.
Slowly raise yourself up until the heel is off the ground, keeping the standing
leg perfectly straight. Slowly lower. Each repetition should take eight
seconds. Repeat the exercise until fatigued, switch legs.